In the middle of the city of Chinon with one of the best views of the fortress, the 2019 Clos de l'Echo provides a focused and compact core of Cabernet fruit. From the warm and dry 2019 season, there's plentiful ripeness here and a sense of softness to the mid-weight palate. However, the 14% alcohol rather tips the wine out of balance, leaving a warming sensation. For fans of wine with texture, you'll find yourself at home: there's plenty of substance and an almost meaty feeling with the finest of chalky tannins coating the cheeks. The long, fragrant finish is scented with notes of smoked bacon, violet, exotic spices, tea leaves and ripe red fruit. - RG

The 2019 Chinon Clos de l'Echo, showing less oak influence than its 2018 counterpart, offers a bouquet of flowers, dark wild berries, baked plums and spices. Medium to full-bodied, enveloping and round, it’s concentrated with structured but elegant tannins that assert themselves into a fleshy core of fruit, concluding with a long, imposing palate. It lacks finesse and elegance.- YC